Hydraulic puller supporting frame used in pulling poles, stumps and butts



Aug. 30, 1966 G. M. PF'UNDT 3,269,704

HYDRAULIC FULLER SUPPORTING FRAME USED IN PULLING POLES, STUMPS AND BUTTS Filed May 12, 1965 INVENTOR. 60R6 M PFUNDT BY QA /mm/ HTTORNEY United States Patent 3 269,704 HYDRAULIC PULLER SUPPORTING FRAME USED IN PULLING POLES, STUMPS AND BUTTS George M. Pfundt, 87 Bustleton Pike, Churchville, Pa. Filed May 12, 1965, Ser. No. 455,168 15 Claims. (Cl. 254-30) This invention relates to the pulling of the stumps or butts of telephone or other poles in withdrawing the same from the ground. More particularly, the invention deals inthe use of a supporting frame, in connection with which a hydraulic pole puller has pivotal and sliding supports and, wherein, the frame comprises two pivotally coupled sections, facilitating :relative movement of the sections and collapsing of the sections one within the other in storage and/ or shipment. Still more particularly, the invention deals in a frame structure of the character defined, wherein flexible means, such as chains, are utilized in bracing and checking the lower portions of the relative section and diverging parts of one of the sections.

Further, the invention deals with the use of means, such as chains, for retention of the sections in collapsed relationship to each other when not in use.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a supporting frame made according to my invention, diagrammatically illustrating in dot-dash lines a hydraulic pole puller, with parts of the construction broken away.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the supporting frame showing in dot-dash lines a hydraulic puller and diagrammatically illustrating engagement of a chain with a stump or butt and the puller and also illustrating, in part, in dot-dash lines two raised positions of the stump or butt and illustrating in dotted lines a diagrammatic showing of the position assumed by a part of the puller supporting section when a stump or butt is pulled; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 of FIG. 1 of the anchor plate of the puller section and illustrating, in part, in elevation the support of a cylinder of the puller thereon.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of my invention, I have indicated, in dot-dash lines, at 5 a hydraulic puller of the type and kind disclosed in Patent Number 3,155,372 issued November 3, 1964, the puller comprising an outer lift cylinder 6, an inner support cylinder 7, having a depending curved saddle 8. Projecting from the upper end of the cylinder 6 is a chain hook or coupler 9.

At 10 is shown the frame assemblage comprising a puller engaging and supporting section 11 and a bracing section 12. The sections 11 and 12 are pivotally coupled with each other at the upper ends thereof in a pivot pin 13.

The section 10 comprises a pair of downwardly diverging rail members 14, having upper parallel pivot ends 15 and lower substantially parallel pivot ends 16 arranged between pairs of ears 17 at end portions of an anchor plate 18. The plate 18 is of inverted channel crosssectional form formed by depending side flanges 19, which are adapted to pierce the ground in the use of the frame. Centrally of the upper surface of the plate 18 is a rounded bearing block 20, upon which the saddle 8 of the hydraulic puller is supported for swinging movement in a pulling operation, as will be apparent from the showing in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The pivotal support of 16 in 17 is by detachable pivot pins 21. In this connection, the pivot pin 13 is also detachable, so that the entire assemblage can be shipped knocked-down and then set up for use.

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The section 12 comprises two downwardly flared brace members 22 having flattened and substantially parallel upper pivot ends 23 supported on the pin 13, the members 22 having lower disc-like feet 24 welded thereto. Intermediate the ends of the members 22, carrying handles or loops 25 are welded upon outer surfaces of the members when the section 12 is in use, as clearly illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

Employed in connection with the members 22 are two chains 26 welded, as seen at 27, to the members, the chains having suitable spring hooks 28 at their ends adapted to be coupled with the handles 25 in support of the two sections 11 and 12 in assembled relationship with each other and, in fact, can be normally coupled with the handles when the frame 10 is in use in order to be out of the way. The chains 26 have been shown in the hanging position to simplify the illustration.

Extending between each of the feet 24 and end portions of the anchor plate 18 are side checking chains 29. Part only of one of these side chains is shown in FIG. 2, it being understood that these chains are on both sides of the frame. The chains 29 can be welded or otherwise fixed to the feet 24 and the plate 18. Another checking chain 30 is employed between the spread feet 24 and parts of end portions of this chain are clearly illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing and, here again, the chain ends are suitably anchored to the feet 24 by welding or the like. By use of the chains 29 and 30, the spread of the feet 24 with respect to the plate 18 and the feet 24 with respect to each other is positively controlled.

Arranged on the pivot pin 13 between the parallel ends 15 of the rail members 14 is a grooved roller 31, which forms a puller cradle, upon which the upper end of the lift cylinder 16 is adapted to bear.

Considering now the diagrammatic showing in FIG. 2 of the drawing, at 32 I have shown the ground level and a recess 33 formed in the ground exposing the upper portion of a pole, stump or butt 34. Here, it is to be explained that, in some instances, a telephone or other pole isbroken off or severed below the ground level; whereas, in other instances, the pole is cut above the ground level and, in the latter instances, the engagement of a chain, such as the chain 35, will take place above the ground, rather than on the stump 34, as seen at 35. This engagement is only diagrammatically shown, but is well-known in the art and, after engagement has been made with the stump 34, the chain is then coupled with the hook or coupler 9 at the upper end of the cylinder 6, as diagrammatically seen; whereupon, the hydraulic .puller is put into operation, as well-known in the art, and the lift cylinder 6 raises on the support cylinder 7, which draws the stump 34 to a first raised position, as seen, in part, at 34' in FIG. 2. Thereafter, another engagement of the stump will be made by the chain 35 and, in the second pulling operation, the stump will raise to the position shown, in part, at 34" in FIG. 2. Three or four of such pulling operations as a rule will remove the stump or butt from the ground and, in each operation, the lift cylinder 6 is lowered to the position illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2 and then moved into its lift position. In the actual lift, the anchor plate will be forced into the ground, substantially to the position diagrammatically shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2 at 18. It will, thus, be apparent that, in the lifting operation, the hydraulic puller, together with the frame, will swing on the bearing block 20 and, as the lift cylinder 6, moves upwardly, it will bear upon the cradle 31.

It will be apparent that the chains 29 can be adjustable to vary the spread between the members 22 and the plate 18. This adjustment could be accomplished by simply engaging predetermined links of the chain 29 3 with coupling hooks 29' fixed to the feet 24. It will also be understood that the members 22 can be tubular in form and the respective sections can be made of aluminum to reduce weight from the standpoint of manual handling.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A supporting frame assemblage of the character defined comprising two sections, each section having a pair of diverging members with upper parallel pivot ends, a pivot pin coupling said ends, a cradle on said pivot pin intermediate the pivot ends of said members, lower ends of the members of a first section being pivoted to an anchor plate spacing said lower ends, said plate having a bearing block on its upper surface, and lower ends of the members of a second section being coupled together and to said plate by flexible means checking spreading of said last named lower ends and movement thereof with respect to said plate.

2. A frame assemblage as defined in claim 1, wherein said last named lower ends include enlarged feet.

3. A frame assemblage as defined in claim 1, wherein said cradle comprises a grooved roller.

4. A frame assemblage as defined in claim 1, wherein said .plate is of inverted channel cross-sectional form.

5. A frame assemblage as defined in claim 1, wherein said bearing block is generally round in cross-sectional form.

6. A frame assemblage as defined in claim 1, wherein flexible means comprises chains.

7. A frame assemblage as defined in claim 1, wherein the second section includes means retaining the two sections in collapsed relationship to each other.

8. A frame assemblage as defined in claim 7, wherein the members of the second section include handles, and said last named means operatively engaging said handles.

9. A hydraulic puller supporting frame comprising a frame assemblage consisting of two sections, each section having a pair of diverging members with upper pivot ends, a pivot pin coupling said ends, a grooved hydraulic puller supporting cradle mounted on said pivot pin intermediate the pivot ends of said members, lower ends of said members of a first section being pivoted to an anchor plate spacing said lower ends, said plate having on its upper surface a bearing block, upon which a hydraulic puller is swingably mounted, and lower ends of the members of a second section being coupled together and to said plate by flexible means checking spreading of said last named lower ends and movement thereof with respect to said plate.

10. A supporting frame as defined in clam 9, wherein the first section is collapsible within the second section, and means coupled with one of said sections for retaining the sections in collapsed relationship to each other.

11. A supporting frame as defined in claim 9, wherein said plate is of inverted channel cross-sectional form.

12. A supporting frame as defined in claim 11, wherein lower ends of the second section terminate in enlarged feet.

13. A supporting frame as defined in claim 9, wherein said flexible means comprises adjustable chains.

14. A hydraulic puller supporting frame comprising a frame assemblage consisting of two sections, the sections being pivoted at one end and spreadable at their opposed ends, the pivot ends of said sections having a hydraulic puller supporting cradle, a first section having, at its lower end, an anchor plate including means for swingable support of a hydraulic puller thereon, a second section comprising a pair of brace members having widely spaced lower ends, means coupling said last named lower ends in checking relative movement thereof, and means providing a checked coupling between said lower ends and said anchor plate.

15. A supporting frame as defined in claim 14, wherein said last named means is adjustable.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 218,598 8/1879 Thayer 254-146 1,030,765 6/1912 Bean 254-139.l

2,025,340 12/1935 Crocker 254139 X 2,757,903 8/1956 Bill 254-30 3,155,372 11/1964 Brown 254-30 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEI-IR, Examiner. 

1. A SUPPORTING FRAME ASSEMBLAGE OF THE CHARACTER DEFINED COMPRISING TWO SECTIONS, EACH SECTION HAVING A PAIR OF DIVERGING MEMBERS WITH UPPER PARALLEL PIVOT ENDS, A PIVOT PIN COUPLING SAID ENDS, A CRADLE ON AID PIVOT PIN INTERMEDIATE THE PIVOT ENDS OF SAID MEMBERS, LOWER ENDS OF THE MEMBERS OF A FIRST SECTION BEING PIVOTED TO AN ANCHOR PLATE SPACING SAID LOWER ENDS, SAID PLATE HAVING A BEARING BLOCK ON ITS UPPER SURFACE, AND LOWER ENDS OF THE MEMBERS OF A SECOND SECTION BEING COUPLED TOGETHER AND TO SAID PLATE BY FLEXIBLE MEANS CHECKING SPREADING OF SAID LAST NAMED LOWER ENDS AND MOVEMENT THEREOF WITH RESPECT TO SAID PLATE. 